Pierson, FL - A Volusia County Sheriff's deputy was hurt on Sunday afternoon when a car fleeing from a traffic stop in Pierson dragged him about 10 feet.
The deputy pulled over the 2012 Dodge Charger for speeding at around 3:18 PM on Sunday, May 4, on N. Center St. near 1st Ave. in Pierson. When he ran the driver's name, Larodney Bennet, 27, the deputy saw he had two open warrants, so he ordered the man to get out of the vehicle.
Despite being told several times, the driver refused to get out of the car, so the deputy reached into the vehicle and tried to open the car door to force Bennet out. That sparked a struggle and the 27-year-old tried to drive away. The deputy was still partially inside the vehicle as it accelerated and he was dragged for about 10 feet before he was able to release his grip and roll away from the car.
The fleeing Charger hit a tree at the dead-end of S. Frederick St. and Bennet got out and fled on foot into a nearby fernery. A Sheriff's Office K-9 unit and helicopter were called to the scene to help with the search. Bennet was found by a K-9 hiding at the bottom of a deep ravine under some shrubbery around 4:53 PM.
The deputy was treated at the scene for a deep cut on his right elbow and minor lacerations and abrasions to his left forearm and forehead. Bennet, who was bitten by the K-9, was taken to Florida Hospital DeLand for treatment then booked into the Volusia County Jail on three felony offenses and 2 warrants, failure to appear in court for a prior domestic battery charge and violation of pre-trial release conditions on the same charge. He's being held on $17,000 bond.
(Bennet's mugshot courtesy Volusia County Jail)
Photo courtesy Scott Richardson and Shutterstock.com.
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